Rufus Martin Utterback (1878 - 1968)

Born 21 May 1878 in Claremont, Richland, Illinois, United States

Ancestors

Died 16 Aug 1968 at age 90 in Danville, Vermilion, Illinois, United States

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Biography

Rufus Martin Utterback was born 21 May 1878 ^[1] in Claremont, Richland Co., Illinois, USA ^[2] to Martin Utterback and Eliza Burgess. ^[3] He married Leona Adelaide Bartley on 19 Jul 1905 in Richland Co., Illinois. ^[4] In 1909, he purchased what became known as Utterback's Business College. ^[5] About 1926, he purchased Brown's Business College in Danville, Illinois (a chain of business colleges started by George W. Brown), which became known as Utterback-Brown Business College. ^[6]

Martin and Leona had the following children: ^{[2] [7]}

1. Ethel Elvira Utterback, b. 27 Dec 1913, d. 27 Dec 1913.
2. Mary Elizabeth Utterback, b. 3 Mar 1917, d. 26 Nov 2006; ^[8] m. William Daulton Trent.

From a biography on Rufus in the History of Vermillion County, Illinois: ^[5]

In the development of a career which has been characterized by marked industry and energy, and the achievement of merited success, the younger generation should take interest, for in this way lessons of incalculable value may be learned. Such a career has been that of Rufus Martin Utterback, president of Utterback's Business College at Danville, who, commencing his independent life with little to aid him save faith in himself and a good education, with some experience as a teacher and a large amount of native ability, has steadily advanced in the field of commercial education until now he has three branch schools in addition to the parent school at Mattoon, Illinois, and he is accounted one of the leaders in his field of effort.

Professor Utterback was born May 21, 1878, at Dundas, Richland County, Illinois, and is a son of Martin and Eliza (Burgess) Utterback.

Rufus Martin Utterback acquired his early education at Dundas, Illinois, where he attended the rural schools, and he followed this by a course at Valparaiso University. Later, he took a course at the Southwestern Business College. He commenced his career as a teacher in the public schools and was engaged from 1896 until 1904. He then spent one and one-half years as a stenographer and in 1905 turned his attention to business college work, with which he has been identified to the present, although it was not until 1909 that he purchased and started operation of what has since been known as Utterback's Business College, of which he has been president since its incorporation. In 1919 Mr. Utterback organized the branch school at Paris, Illinois, and in 1921 the second branch school was located at Olney, Illinois. In 1925 the third branch school was established at Danville. These have all proven decidedly successful under his careful and capable management, and there are already found a number of successful men and women in the business world who received their training at the Utterback schools. Mr. Utterback has given his chief attention to the management and direction of these establishments, but has not overlooked the duties of citizenship, and from 1915 until 1917 served as a member of the city council of Mattoon.

Mr. Utterback was married at Calhoun, Illinois, July 19, 1905, to Miss Leona A. Bartley, a daughter of Edward T. and Elvira Jane Bartley. Edward T. Bartley, who died in May, 1925, was a grandson of Governor Mordecai Bartley, of Ohio, a Union soldier during the Civil War, and a relative of William Hooper, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Mrs. Bartley, who still survives her husband, is a descendant of the old Scotch Covenanteers.

To Mr. and Mrs. Utterback there have been born two children: Ethel Elvira, born December 27, 1913, died at birth; and Mary Elizabeth, born March 3, 1917.

Mr. Utterback is a Republican, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Mattoon Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Danville Consistory, thirty-second degree; Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Modern Woodmen of America, and Rotary Club. He is also identified with the United Association of Accredited Private Business Schools.

Census Data

1880: Preston Township, Richland, Illinois, USA ^[9]

Age 2, born in Illinois. Includes father, Martin Utterback (53, farmer, born in Kentucky), mother, Eliza (41, born in Ohio), and siblings, Edwin (19, farmer, born in Illinois), Lena M. (16, born in Illinois), Walter M. (13, farm laborer, born in Illinois), and Paul (6, born in Illinois).

1900: Preston Township, Richland, Illinois, USA ^[10]

Age 22, school teacher, born May 1878 in Illinois. Includes father, Martin Utterback] (73, widowed, farmer, born Jan 1827 in Kentucky).

Also counted as a student at Valparaiso College and Northern Indiana Normal School, Valparaiso city, Porter, Indiana, USA ^[11]

1910: Mattoon Ward 3, Coles, Illinois, USA ^[12]

Age 30, proprietor of Business College, born in Illinois. Includes wife, Leona A. (23, born in Illinois).

1920: Mattoon, Coles, Illinois, USA ^[13]

Age 41, owner of Business College, born in Illinois. Includes wife, Leona (33, born in Illinois), and daughter, Beth (2, born in Illinois).

1930: Danville, Vermilion, Illinois, USA ^[14]

Age 52, owner of Business College, born in Illinois. Includes wife, Leona A. (43, born in Illinois), and daughter, Mary E. (13, born in Illinois).

1940: Danville, Vermilion, Illinois, USA ^[15]

Age 62, owner of Business College, born in Illinois. Includes wife, Leona (54, born in Illinois), and daughter, Mary Elizabeth (23, born in Illinois).

Death

Died: 16 Aug 1968 ^{[16] [17]} in Danville, Vermilion Co., Illinois, USA. ^[7]

Buried: Dodge Grove Cemetery, Mattoon, Coles Co., Illinois, USA. ^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch : 30 December 2021, Rufus Martin Utterback, 1917-1918.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Utterback, William Irvin. Utterback history and genealogy of the Utterback family in America, 1622-1937: Family record of Herman Utterback and his descendants, (1622-1937) (Marshall College, West Virginia, Gentry Bros, 1937). #1927 page 302.
3. ↑ Utterback, W. I. Utterback History, #876 page 183.
4. ↑ "Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940," database with images, FamilySearch : 19 February 2021, Rufus M Utterback and Leona A Bartley, 19 Jul 1905; citing Richland, Illinois, United States, county offices, Illinois; FHL microfilm 1,221,094.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} William, Jack Moore. History of Vermillion County, Illinois, Vol 2, Publisher: Historical Publishing Co., Topeka-Indianapolis, 1930, pages 682-684.
6. ↑ WikiMili article on Brown's Business College.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} Find a Grave, database and images, memorial page for Rufus Martin Utterback (21 May 1878–16 Aug 1968), Find A Grave: Memorial #70116834, citing Dodge Grove Cemetery, Mattoon, Coles County, Illinois, USA.
8. ↑ "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch, Rufus Utterback in entry for Elizabeth Utterback Trent, Santa Rosa, California, United States, 10 Dec 2006; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com : 2014; citing Press Democrat, The, born-digital text.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch : 13 January 2022, Rufus M. Utterback in household of Martin Utterback, Preston Township, Richland, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district ED 179, sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm . Note: Middle initial mis-transcribed as 'W'.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch : 9 March 2022, Rufus Utterback in entry for Martin Utterback, 1900.
11. ↑ "United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch : 27 January 2022, Rufus M Utterbach, 1900.
12. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch, Rufus M Utterback, Mattoon Ward 3, Coles, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 59, sheet 11A, family 269, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 236; FHL microfilm 1,374,249.
13. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch : 1 February 2021, R M Utterback, 1920.
14. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch, Rufus M Utterback, Danville, Vermilion, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 15, sheet 9A, line 16, family 225, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 564; FHL microfilm 2,340,299.
15. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch : 8 January 2021, Rufus Utterbock, Danville, Vermilion, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 92-33, sheet 8A, line 18, family 203, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 898.
16. ↑ The INGenWeb Project, Copyright ©1997-2020 (and beyond), Fountain County (Indiana) GenWeb, Online obituary for Rufus Martin Utterback.
17. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch : 9 January 2021, Rufus Utterback, Aug 1968; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).